Cappadocia Daily Tours

TOUR 1 – GOREME OPEN AIR MUSUEM AND FAIRY CHIMNEYS
Visit Devrent Valley - natural rock formations with fantastic shapes, some of which are reminiscent of people and animals. Visit the Zelve area with Pasabagi for a walk in the vineyards among strange multiple "mushroom-capped" fairy chimneys, then continue to Avanos, which has been a center of terra cotta work since 3000 BC. See a pottery demonstration using the ancient kick-wheel technique. We will also visit Goreme Open Air Museum, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. See the best examples of Byzantine frescoes and symbols inside the rock-cut churches that date roughly from the 10th to the 13th along with the kitchens and dining halls of the monks in this extensive early Christian complex. The last stop will be Uchisar Castle where we climb up tunnels inside the rock citadel for an extensive panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia and even Mt Erciyes on a clear day.

TOUR 2 – UNDERGROUND CITY
Hike along the Red/Rose Valley, the most breathtakingly beautiful valleys in our unique area. Finish the hiking tour at the Cavusin Cave Village. After a 1 hour walking and Cavusin village visit continue to Kaymakli Underground City and explore four levels of this underground city which is a maze of tunnels where it is believed up to 3500 people may have lived. You will see storage rooms, kitchens and living areas with ventilation shafts. There are also wineries, stables and “millstone” doors which could be rolled to seal tunnel entrances from invaders. Parts of the underground city may be from the Hittite era but were also used by early Christians as a refuge as there is a small church. Last stop at one of the most important symbols of Cappadocia, the Legend of Three Beauties takes its name from the fairy chimney of two adults and a child.

TOUR 3 – IHLARA TOUR
We will drive to the impressive Ihlara Valley which is located near Mount Hasan and Mount Melendez, which are two of the three sleeping volcanoes in Cappadocia. The Valley is actually a canyon with a depth of approximately 100 meters and length of 14 kilometers and it is thought that there are more than 4000 dwellings and 100 cave churches carved in the rock. We will walk approximately 3 km along the Melendez River passing through vineyards, poplar and pistacio trees in the most scenic part of the valley. Lunch next to the River in the village of Belisirma (ancient Peristrema). Drive to Selime, a village of rock cones below a mesa. There is a two-story colonnaded church and monastery, kitchens and tunnel all carved into the rock above the village. On the way continue to Lake Nar (Turkish: Nar or Narlı Gölü) which is a brackish lake situated on the borderline between Aksaray Province and Niğde Province of central Turkey.

TOUR 4 - UNDERGROUND CITY, SOGANLI, TRADITIONAL VILLAGES
In the morning, visit to Derinkuyu Underground City, one of a interesting underground settlements in Cappadocia. Soğanlı Valley, an Open Air Museum in a wild natural setting near a typical Cappadocian village with its different style Rock-Cut churches and frescoes. Villages in the valleys, surrounded by the "table top" mountains, are spectacular. Lunch and visit to Sahinefendi newly discovered (01 May 2002) mosaic houses & Archaeological excavation site. Continue with Keslik Monastery near Cemil, that hides its frescoes behind a very thin smoke layer which we can only see by torch light. Our tour finishes with a visit to Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; very fine examples of late Greek settlements and architecture.

TOUR 5 – TURKISH VILLAGE LIFE AND CUISINE
Today we will start our adventure by visiting a local market (Available only on Monday, Friday or Saturday) or alternatively a morning walk in the fruit orchards of Ayvali Village where we can collect and taste fresh fruits (Harvesting between June and October) or we can visit the underground storage areas cut out of the rock where lemons and potatoes are kept at a constant temperature without need for any electricity. We will continue our discovery of Ayvali village where you will be invited by villagers to enjoy a glass of freshly brewed tea, a plate of a desert or fresh fruit from their orchards. According to the season, we may join the villagers to learn and help make grape syrup (pekmez), tomato sauce and/or pumpkin seed collecting. We can also visit a kahvehane (coffee house) to learn more about the lifestyle and local games which drinking Turkish coffee or tea. We make a visit to the mosque in the village and learn about religious customs in Turkey. For lunch, we are invited to an authentic village house with a Turkish family. The meal will be prepared by gathering the ingredients from the garden and we will participate in cooking it. The lunch will be eaten in the traditional Turkish way. After lunch, we will enjoy a walk through a beautiful hidden valley and then drive to see a cave wine house where you will see a demonstration of how the delicious Cappadocian wine is made. Before returning to the hotel you have the option to learn about art and handwork by visiting a handicraft center.

TOUR 6 – CAPPADOCIA EXPRESS
Tour to Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the most interesting underground settlements in Cappadocia. After the undergound city visit Devrent Valley - natural rock formations with fantastic shapes, some of which are reminiscent of people and animals. Visit the Zelve area with Pasabagi for a walk in the vineyards among strange multiple "mushroom-capped" fairy chimneys, then continue to Avanos, which has been a center of terra cotta work since 3000 BC. See a pottery demonstration using the ancient kick-wheel technique. We will also visit Goreme Open Air Museum, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. See the best examples of Byzantine frescoes and symbols inside the rock-cut churches that date roughly from the 10th to the 13th along with the kitchens and dining halls of the monks in this extensive early Christian complex.

Tour 7 – PANORAMIC TOUR
The first stop is Esentepe, the impressive panoramic viewpoint overlooking Goreme.
Red Valley (Kizilcukur) is located in the middle of Goreme Naitonal Park named after the red colored formations spread through the valley.
Aydın Kıragı , a vantage point in the town of Göreme, one of the best spot you can go for panorama view. Can be accessed by climbing a pathway along the central Goreme Mosque.
Uchisar Castle where we climb up tunnels inside the rock citadel for an extensive panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia and even Mt Erciyes on a clear day.
Piegon Valley - One of the most beautiful valleys of Cappadocia. Taking its name from the pigeonholes carved into the tops of its fairy chimneys, and visitors to Cappadocia shouldn’t miss it.
Last stop at one of the most important symbols of Cappadocia, the Legend of Three Beauties takes its name from the fairy chimney of two adults and a child.